Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-17
HE'LL AND IT'S PEOPLE.
THE SWEDFNBORGIANS' BELIEF
IN TH f., FUTURE.


Rev. j. Fdwaro Smith's Sermon at
Metropo titan Hall Lat Nieht-He De
Scribes the Future state and the Con-
ditions After Dsath--Pictures of Heil,
Heaven and AIDES
Rev.J. Edward Smith, y Sweden Dor.
gian minister from Wilmington, n. c.,
preached last night to a fair congregation
at Metropolitan Hall. HIS subject was
"Hell, its Nature, Inhabitants, etc" He
read Psalm elk, which he said had
been frequently presented by Bob Inger-
soil as an argument against the divine
inspiration of the Bible. If the Psalm is
taken literally, he said, it would be a
strong argument in this direction, but
when is scriptural translation is looked
at it can be readily seen that it could
never have originated from any but d.
vine mind,
The preacher took as his text part OF
Luke XVI, containing the story Of Dives
ana Lazarus. lie began by saying that
The belief that there is no actual,
material neli, no burning lake Of fire and
birthstone for the punishment OF sinners.
Is growing more and more popular
every day. Those who entertain
this belief, he said, argue that
God is a merciiul being and
that 1t would be Inconsistent with His
nature to consign sinners to such an
awful punishment TOR an eternity.
Others again, ne said, argue that after
death man becomes spiritual enttty--a
5ometh ng which fire cannot buru-and
that being placed in the burning lake
would be no punishment. He quoted the
saying OF DR.. Taimsge, VINO said that
he has not sense enough TO make hell
Of his own and accepted the one spoken
Of IN the Bible, which was TIE actual
burning hell. Still others, he SAID, argue
that hell consists in the lashingS If con-
science for misdeeds on earth. Tue OBJ
joctiOn to this theory, he said, is that
those in hell have no conscience. Con-
science il strife between good and evil,
a struggle for predomnance between the
good and bad qualities OF a mans heart.
But those in hell have nothing good in
them; their nature is wholly evil, and
consequently tney can have no conscience,
50 there IS no strife between the good and
the evil.
The word hell, he continued, is re-
garded by some as too harsh an express
sion and they use the word Hades inste ad.
But the words have separate and DIS
II ct meaning, aud cannot he USED inter
changa0ly. hadeS represents the state
Of COZ dltlon Of spirits which are neil her
cOnsummately good nor cOnsummately
bad. 1t is an intermediate place between
Heaven and hell. Heaven represents
the state of cOnsummatelv good
spirits and he'll the state of the
cOnsummately bad. These places, he cOl-
tnued. heaven, hades and hell all rep
resent sta es or connections. Death is
tue removal of the gossamer which euvel-
opes the spirit; by this act the spirit Is
set free from the material body in winch
1t has dwelt, and according as it has
been consummately good or bad, or mix
ture of both, we. say it ia IN heaven, he'll
or hades.
The reward or punishment OF these
spirits consist in the fact That ali of the
same class cOngregate together. THIS
congregation of the cUnsummately good
spirits makes what is known as Heaven,
OF the cOnsummately bad what is known
as hell, and of those which are neither
one nor the other, but inA an intermediate
state. what is known ne Hades.
At the conclusion of the sermon the
preacher announced that on next sunday
night be will discuss the subject OF the
Nv GRID of Spirits